There has always been and will forever be the Creator. In what we would know as the beginning, the Creator made forth the universe. He filled it with stars and beautiful wonders most vast, painting this canvas of creation like the ultimate mad genius. Once completed, he rested and admired his work. He was please with what he had made, but found himself lonely as He had no one to share in his creation with. So he created his four children from the very core of the Universe. There was Chronor, God of Time; Magnus, God of Magic; Solumnox, God of Light and Darkness and Elimor; God of Elements. These four would come to be known as the Great Primals.
The Great Primals along with the Creator, were the Great Family. They ruled over vastness of the Universe. But in time, the same problem the creator had fell upon the Great Primals. They became lonely and bored. And with boredom so came in-fighting amongst the siblings. In order to appease his Great Family, the Creator asked what need be done to make them happy. After much deliberating, the children answered that they wished to create children of their own.
The Creator allowed their request, with one exception. If they were to create children, they were to make them as diverse as the universe itself and allow them to create children as well, if they so choose. And that the life they created was to be diverse as well yet have common characteristics as not to be completely alien to one another and allow cohabitation and peace within the world. There was to be balance. The Great Primals agreed. And it was with this that the four Great Primals brought forth the Greater Gods – architects of the races and overseers of main domains. They created Corellon Larethian, Garl Glittergold, Grummsh, Moradin, Nerull, Pelor, Yondalla and Boccob. These Greater Gods would, in time, go on to create most of the diverse races we find within the world. They would also, in time, go on to define their own domains based on the needs and wonderment of the world in addition to that which was given by the Great Primals.
The Great Primals were pleased. They were so pleased in fact, that they wanted to bestow a gift upon the world and to the Greater Gods. The Great Primals deliberated on exactly what to give. It was upon Magus’ suggestion that they all agreed. They would each give a small shard of themselves directly to Magnus. He would then use those shards to craft The Seeds of Mana. These Seeds would allow the life of the world to manipulate small parts of three Primal Gods domains, light and darkness, time, and elements, using the forth Primal God’s domain, magic, as the conduit.
These seeds were then planted within the world at specific locations. This allowed Magic to fully take hold in the world infusing all life with Mana. Over time, the Creator went silent and the Primal Gods slumbered, pleased and content with their work. The Greater Gods took more of the overseeing stance on the world. The Greater Gods eventually created Lesser Deities, and so on, and thus the Pantheons were born.
As the life grew in the world, the intelligent beings such as man, elves, dwarves, orcs and others learned to harness and master magic. Magic flowed free and unchecked. Anything was possible. All was harmonious and all the gods, greater and lesser, were pleased. Unfortunately, this would not always be the case. As life grew more intelligent and diverse, so grew their lust for power, domination and conquest. Man, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings and others alike used these forces against one another and through off the balance, choosing destruction over life and creation. The world spun into utter ruin and chaos. They abused the powers and hurt the balance. The gods were angered. Finally the gods were forced to intervene before total destruction could be had. And in the end, through much in-fighting, the gods decided to set back the world to a lesser state. It was decided most intelligent life would be purged, and that only a few should remain to repopulate. This was known as the Great Cleansing and thus ended the First Age.
In time, life grew once more. Man, Elves, Dwarves and many other forms of life roamed the lands once again in vast numbers. Civilizations grew and magic flowed free once more. Much time pasted. History of the Great Cleansing became more of legend and eventually legend became more of myth. Magic was studied and mastered. Skilled craftsmen created great items of power, where they were wielded by the brave and righteous as well as the corrupt and power-hungry, alike. Kingdoms flourished and naturally conflict arose. Battles for power, land and treasure scattered the lands. All likes of intelligent being scrambled for power. It saddened and angered the gods once more – fearing another purge was near. But this time they gods waited. They deliberated.
Eventually, a Great War raged across the world with many armies competing for dominance. Magic weapons of great power were created - these Artifacts of the Second Age, used only for pure destruction. It was at the climax of the Great War that the gods finally intervened once more. Saddened and angered that the intelligent beings had almost brought annihilation once again to the world, they made them this offer:
Magic must be restricted.
Man, elves, dwarves and all other races alike found this insulting. They waged a war directly with the gods. Giant war titans were built. Man, elf and dwarf alike utilized these giant weapons of destruction. The Great War continued, with this new common enemy and with a new purpose. The beings of the world would look toward the heavens no more, but if only to strike. A greater battle than either said imagined was waged. But the sides were not clear cut. Some of the gods felt their kind was in the wrong to interfere. The offer intelligence and divulged secrets to their mortal allies. One such valuable secret was the construction method of a Deusoccide, or God Slayer. It required high magic and special ingredients to forge these weapons. This plan was completed in secret and entrusted to one mortal. A dozen weapons were forged and given to the leaders of each army. With these weapons and the war titans, the war could surely be won.
But it was not as cut and dry as the mortals hoped. The gods were clever, fierce and determined. Countless lives were lost on both sides. For every god that fell, a hundred thousand mortals fell as well. Eventually, even with the mortals new weapons of war, the gods would find themselves victorious once more.
Saddened by all that had occurred, and the fallen on both sides, yet bound by their domains, the gods could not bring themselves to perform a complete Cleansing of the world. Instead, they ordered the gathering of all magically arms and armor. They gathered the Deusoccides, in addition to any remaining war titans. The gods that remained destroyed all of it - taking the magical energies and infusing them back into themselves and the world. They then preformed a ritual that would lay a barrier upon Mana itself, restricting its use at higher intensities so this could never happen again.
The god then called forth the remaining leaders of the four continents. The gods agreed to leave them be with this new restriction in place, but only if they came up with additional checks and balances for power within the world. The gods warned that if they were forced to intervene once more, that they would have no choice but to fully eradicate the populous before they became too powerful.
A summit of the leaders took place. It was there it was decided that each continent would be considered its own Empire, and that each continent would be allowed seven Kingdoms throughout its land. But the general rule for the world would be “For the Good of the Empire”. Thus ended the Second Age and began the Third Age.
Now, universally, only utility magic items are generally allowed, with small exceptions, such as bags of holding, belt of many pockets, etc. Any magically enhanced weapons and armor are greatly controlled by all the Empires, for fear that the abuse of power and escalation forthwith. And all items of those types are marked with the specific Empire's seal and cataloged. They can be found, bought generally are not common at all. Any attempt at creation of unauthorized items will land oneself in Anwall or worse. In addition, it had been found that no magical arms or armor can withstand high enchantments. Only low magic enchantments can be placed on arms and armor, per the magical restrictions placed long ago.
There are always rumors of surviving artifacts from the previous ages, but those are likely just rumors.
The Great Primals along with the Creator, were the Great Family. They ruled over vastness of the Universe. But in time, the same problem the creator had fell upon the Great Primals. They became lonely and bored. And with boredom so came in-fighting amongst the siblings. In order to appease his Great Family, the Creator asked what need be done to make them happy. After much deliberating, the children answered that they wished to create children of their own.
The Creator allowed their request, with one exception. If they were to create children, they were to make them as diverse as the universe itself and allow them to create children as well, if they so choose. And that the life they created was to be diverse as well yet have common characteristics as not to be completely alien to one another and allow cohabitation and peace within the world. There was to be balance. The Great Primals agreed. And it was with this that the four Great Primals brought forth the Greater Gods – architects of the races and overseers of main domains. They created Corellon Larethian, Garl Glittergold, Grummsh, Moradin, Nerull, Pelor, Yondalla and Boccob. These Greater Gods would, in time, go on to create most of the diverse races we find within the world. They would also, in time, go on to define their own domains based on the needs and wonderment of the world in addition to that which was given by the Great Primals.
The Great Primals were pleased. They were so pleased in fact, that they wanted to bestow a gift upon the world and to the Greater Gods. The Great Primals deliberated on exactly what to give. It was upon Magus’ suggestion that they all agreed. They would each give a small shard of themselves directly to Magnus. He would then use those shards to craft The Seeds of Mana. These Seeds would allow the life of the world to manipulate small parts of three Primal Gods domains, light and darkness, time, and elements, using the forth Primal God’s domain, magic, as the conduit.
These seeds were then planted within the world at specific locations. This allowed Magic to fully take hold in the world infusing all life with Mana. Over time, the Creator went silent and the Primal Gods slumbered, pleased and content with their work. The Greater Gods took more of the overseeing stance on the world. The Greater Gods eventually created Lesser Deities, and so on, and thus the Pantheons were born.
As the life grew in the world, the intelligent beings such as man, elves, dwarves, orcs and others learned to harness and master magic. Magic flowed free and unchecked. Anything was possible. All was harmonious and all the gods, greater and lesser, were pleased. Unfortunately, this would not always be the case. As life grew more intelligent and diverse, so grew their lust for power, domination and conquest. Man, elves, dwarves, orcs, gnomes, halflings and others alike used these forces against one another and through off the balance, choosing destruction over life and creation. The world spun into utter ruin and chaos. They abused the powers and hurt the balance. The gods were angered. Finally the gods were forced to intervene before total destruction could be had. And in the end, through much in-fighting, the gods decided to set back the world to a lesser state. It was decided most intelligent life would be purged, and that only a few should remain to repopulate. This was known as the Great Cleansing and thus ended the First Age.
In time, life grew once more. Man, Elves, Dwarves and many other forms of life roamed the lands once again in vast numbers. Civilizations grew and magic flowed free once more. Much time pasted. History of the Great Cleansing became more of legend and eventually legend became more of myth. Magic was studied and mastered. Skilled craftsmen created great items of power, where they were wielded by the brave and righteous as well as the corrupt and power-hungry, alike. Kingdoms flourished and naturally conflict arose. Battles for power, land and treasure scattered the lands. All likes of intelligent being scrambled for power. It saddened and angered the gods once more – fearing another purge was near. But this time they gods waited. They deliberated.
Eventually, a Great War raged across the world with many armies competing for dominance. Magic weapons of great power were created - these Artifacts of the Second Age, used only for pure destruction. It was at the climax of the Great War that the gods finally intervened once more. Saddened and angered that the intelligent beings had almost brought annihilation once again to the world, they made them this offer:
Magic must be restricted.
Man, elves, dwarves and all other races alike found this insulting. They waged a war directly with the gods. Giant war titans were built. Man, elf and dwarf alike utilized these giant weapons of destruction. The Great War continued, with this new common enemy and with a new purpose. The beings of the world would look toward the heavens no more, but if only to strike. A greater battle than either said imagined was waged. But the sides were not clear cut. Some of the gods felt their kind was in the wrong to interfere. The offer intelligence and divulged secrets to their mortal allies. One such valuable secret was the construction method of a Deusoccide, or God Slayer. It required high magic and special ingredients to forge these weapons. This plan was completed in secret and entrusted to one mortal. A dozen weapons were forged and given to the leaders of each army. With these weapons and the war titans, the war could surely be won.
But it was not as cut and dry as the mortals hoped. The gods were clever, fierce and determined. Countless lives were lost on both sides. For every god that fell, a hundred thousand mortals fell as well. Eventually, even with the mortals new weapons of war, the gods would find themselves victorious once more.
Saddened by all that had occurred, and the fallen on both sides, yet bound by their domains, the gods could not bring themselves to perform a complete Cleansing of the world. Instead, they ordered the gathering of all magically arms and armor. They gathered the Deusoccides, in addition to any remaining war titans. The gods that remained destroyed all of it - taking the magical energies and infusing them back into themselves and the world. They then preformed a ritual that would lay a barrier upon Mana itself, restricting its use at higher intensities so this could never happen again.
The god then called forth the remaining leaders of the four continents. The gods agreed to leave them be with this new restriction in place, but only if they came up with additional checks and balances for power within the world. The gods warned that if they were forced to intervene once more, that they would have no choice but to fully eradicate the populous before they became too powerful.
A summit of the leaders took place. It was there it was decided that each continent would be considered its own Empire, and that each continent would be allowed seven Kingdoms throughout its land. But the general rule for the world would be “For the Good of the Empire”. Thus ended the Second Age and began the Third Age.
Now, universally, only utility magic items are generally allowed, with small exceptions, such as bags of holding, belt of many pockets, etc. Any magically enhanced weapons and armor are greatly controlled by all the Empires, for fear that the abuse of power and escalation forthwith. And all items of those types are marked with the specific Empire's seal and cataloged. They can be found, bought generally are not common at all. Any attempt at creation of unauthorized items will land oneself in Anwall or worse. In addition, it had been found that no magical arms or armor can withstand high enchantments. Only low magic enchantments can be placed on arms and armor, per the magical restrictions placed long ago.
There are always rumors of surviving artifacts from the previous ages, but those are likely just rumors.